125. Sarah Hall, "Helm"
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The wonderful writer Sarah Hall returns to the podcast, this time to talk about her latest novel Hel...
124. Brad Fox, "Another Bone-Swapping Event"
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brad Fox makes his second appearance on the podcast, this time with Another Bone-Swapping Event abou...
123. Anbara Salam, "The Salvage"
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Anbara Salam joins us for a discussion of her binge-worthy new novel, The Salvage, about a su...
122. Chris Kraus, "The Four Spent the Day Together"
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Kraus is our guest as we explore her new book, The Four Spent the Day Together, a riviting acc...
121. Lily King, "Heart the Lover"
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Lori are joined by writer Lily King to talk about her latest novel, Heart the Lover, a wonde...
120. Tom Cox, "Everything Will Swallow You"
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and music critic Tom Cox joins us for an engaging discussion of his latest novel, Everything ...
119. Miranda Mellis, "Crocosmia"
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss some of the new words added to the Cambridge Dictionary, and a fascinating discussion wit...
118. Josephine Rowe, "Little World"
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sam battles AI tech bros; we chat with author Josephine Rowe about her new novel Little World, publi...
117. Issa Quincy, "Absence"
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Galley Beggar Press wants your short story; gearing up for Henry James at The Big Book Project; and ...
116. Catherine Lacey, "The Möbius Book"
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Catherine Lacey returns to the podcast to talk about The Möbius Book; reportedly, Patricia Highsmit...
115. Jonathan Gibbs, "Randall"
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author Jonathan Gibbs joins us to talk about his novel Randall, published in the UK by Sam's Ga...
114. Wendy Erskine, "The Benefactors"
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writers beware of the TikTok publishing model, and we chat with Wendy Erskine about her exuberant, p...
113. Megan Hunter, "Days of Light"
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author Megan Hunter joins us to talk about her new novel, Days of Light, that depicts fifty years ...
112. Seán Hewitt, "Open, Heaven"
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Galley Beggar Press's own Mark Bowles is shortlisted for a first novel prize; Sam stays up too ...
111. Vijay Khurana "The Passenger Seat"
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are male literary writers underrepresented in today's publishing scene? And we talk to Vijay Kh...
110. Laurent Binet, "Perspective(s)"
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
French author Laurent Binet joins us to talk about his latest novel Perspective(s), translated by Sa...
109. Jonathan Coe, "The Proof of My Innocence"
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined by the brilliant writer Jonathan Coe to discuss his latest novel, The Proof of My Inno...
108. "The Frog in the Throat" by Markus Werner with translator Michael Hofmann
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We brag about having poet, critic, and translator extraordinaire Michael Hofmann on the show, and th...
107. House of Fury by Evelio Rosero with translator Victor Meadowcroft
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We celebrate prize winners: Galley Beggar Short Story Prize and Republic of Consciousness Prize, US ...
106. Jón Kalman Stefánsson, "Heaven and Hell"
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's prize shortlist season! And, we have a fascinating discussion with author Jón Kalman Stef...
105. Steve Stern, "A Fool's Kabbalah"
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author Steve Stern joins us for his second appearance on the pod to talk about his latest novel, A F...
104. Ali Smith, "Gliff"
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new, indie friendly platform for buying e-books; we have a great discussion with the prolific and ...
103. Holly Pester, "The Lodgers"
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about our 2025 literary projects, and writer Holly Pester joins us to discuss her novel on t...
102. "Wuthering Heights"
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Lori discuss Emily Brontë's classic novel of revenge on the moors--Wuthering Heights! ...
101. Graeme Macrae Burnet, "A Case of Matricide"
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Doestoevsky short story goes viral on Tik-Tok, and we talk to A Case of Matricide author Graeme Ma...
100th Episode with Dan Wells
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We celebrate this, our 100th episode! Thank you for listening! And we chat with publisher and bo...
99. Rita Bullwinkel, "Headshot"
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The dying art of the honest book review; and Rita Bullwinkel is our guest to talk about her novel He...
98. Rodrigo Fresán, "Melvill"
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Cure's Robert Smith continues legacy of writing songs rich with literary references; and we...
97. Mark Haber, "Lesser Ruins"
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The release of "Patriot,," Alexei Navalny's collected prison diaries; do book festiva...
96. Sam Mills, "The Watermark"
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our recent guest, Mark Bowles, makes the Goldsmiths Prize shortlist; reading, or not, at elite US co...
95. Mark Bowles "All My Precious Madness"
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Publishers' costs: printing vs AI; even more love for libraries; we chat with Mark Bowles abo...
94. Jamie Quatro, " Two-Step Devil"
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
National Novel Writing Month takes a hit for its position on AI; the 20th anniversary of a novel we ...
93. Noémi Kiss-Deáki, "Mary and the Rabbit Dream"
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A home robbery is thwarted when the thief gets distracted by a book; what's the latest trend in...
92. Claire Kilroy, "Soldier Sailor"
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Liverpool library defies riots and fire; the inaugural Inside Literary Prize; and writer Claire Kilr...
91. Kazim Ali, "Indian Winter"
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scandal at the Hugo Awards; Do straight guys hate novels?; writer Kazim Ali is our guest to talk abo...
90. J.L. Carr "A Month in the Country"
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
That controversial NYT Top 100 List; should a writer's life affect our appreciation of their wo...
89. Sarah Perry, "Enlightenment"
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Librarian superheroes; dog-hair mittens; and we talk to author Sarah Perry about her fascinating new...
88. Andrew O'Hagan, "Caledonian Road"
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Arundhati Roy faces prison for a speech made fourteen years ago; summer reading plans; and, we talk ...
87. Clare Pollard, "The Modern Fairies"
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are debut novels failing to launch? And we talk to writer Clare Pollard about her latest novel, The ...
86. Alex Pugsley, " The Education of Aubrey McKee"
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Previous guests win big awards; the high production costs for small presses; and we talk to writer a...
85. Ada Zhang, "The Sorrows of Others"
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Commemorating Paul Auster; praising Miss MacIntosh, My Darling; and we talk to writer Ada Zhang on t...
84. Danielle Dutton, "Prairie, Dresses, Art, Other"
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sam is a Swiftie; Rushdie's new memoir Knife is amazing; and we talk to writer and publisher Da...
83. Scarlett Thomas, "The Sleepwalkers"
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Finding a way to print books while sacrificing fewer trees; questioning if there aren't just to...
82. Douglas Westerbeke, "A Short Walk Through a Wide World"
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the 50th anniversary of Stephen King's novel, Carrie; bad news for the distribution o...
81. Aron Aji and Selin Gökçesu (translators), "Lojman"
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Annoucements from our literary prizes; a new publishing model promises greater equity for authors; b...
80. Lars Iyer, "My Weil"
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to writer Lars Iyer about his smart, sophisticated, and very funny campus novel, My Weil, in...
79. Sebastián Martínez Daniell, "Two Sherpas"
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Reading IS sexy; Sendak estate publshes posthumous kid's book; and we talk to Sebastián Martí...
78. Alexis Wright, "Praiseworthy"
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is streaming bad for audiobooks? We talk longlists for the Galley Beggar Press short story prize and...
77. Paul Lynch "Prophet Song"
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Keanu Reeves moves from screen to page; Wolf Hall trilogy Collective Read; and Booker Prize winner P...
76. Mike McCormack, "This Plague of Souls"
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Irish author Mike McCormack joins Sam and Lori to talk about his latest novel, This Plague of Souls,...
75. Christine Coulson, "One Woman Show"
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We wrap-up the year with some 2023 highlights and talk to author Christine Coulson about her unique ...
74. Don Gillmor, "Breaking and Entering"
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We mark the death of poet and social activist Benjamin Zephaniah and talk about a new literary prize...
73. Christine Lai, "Landscapes"
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Reading Grace Paley's short story, "Wants;" and we talk to debut novelist Christine L...
72. Kate Briggs, "The Long Form"
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Across the Pond guest Benjamin Myers wins the 2023 Goldsmiths Prize for Cuddy; literary agent Andrew...
71. Adam Biles, "Beasts of England"
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI's Vesuvius Challenge; are reports of the death of our attentions greatly exaaggerated?; and,...
70. Caleb Azumah Nelson, "Small Worlds"
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is literary fiction?; and writer Caleb Azumah Nelson returns to the podcast to talk about his s...
69. Ben Fountain, "Devil Makes Three"
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI book theft; The White Review suspends publication; Amazon is sued; and we welcome writer Ben Foun...
68. Sheena Patel, "I'm a Fan"
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Lori talk about the prescient, 1901 H.G. Wells short story, The New Accelerator, and our gue...
67. Paola Ferrante, "Her Body Among Animals"
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fall Books! And we talk to writer Paola Ferrante about her fantastic eco-horror story collection, ...
66. Rian Hughes, "The Black Locomotive"
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can you really trust that book cover blurb?; Sam and Elly's "Literary London" gets a ...
64. Translator Frances Riddle, "A Little Luck" (by Claudia Piñeiro)
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have we killed literary fiction?; plus, an interesting discussion with Frances Riddle about her tran...
63. Colin Walsh, "Kala"
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What we plan to read this summer, and we talk to Colin Walsh about his debut novel Kala, a satisfyin...
62. Stephanie Bishop, "The Anniversary"
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lori and Sam meet up in Cambridge, UK for punting and pints, and author Stephanie Bishop joins the p...
61. Kathryn Bromwich, "At the Edge of the Woods"
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The lasting legacies of Cormac McCarthy and editor Robert Gottlieb, and we talk to author Kathryn Br...
60. Isabella Hammad, "Enter Ghost"
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What the British PM reads, small glimmers of hope in the fight against book bans, and we talk to aut...
59. Jenny Erpenbeck, "Kairos"
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A tribute to the late author Martin Amis; Jenny Erpenbeck joins us for a fascinating discussion of h...
58. Brad Fox, "The Bathysphere Book: Effects of the Luminous Ocean Depths"
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Lori read Henry James' short story, "The Figure in the Carpet," which even Sa...
57. Toby Litt, "A Writer's Diary"
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam brings back news from the London Book Fair, and we talk to author Toby Litt about his latest nov...
56. Martin Riker, "The Guest Lecture"
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode with writer and publisher Martin Riker, we talk about running a small publis...
55. Catherine Lacey, "Biography of X"
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Book-Tok's authenticity problem, and we talk to author Catherine Lacey about her latest, breath...
Ep. 54, Todd McEwan, "Cary Grant's Suit: Nine Movies that Made Me the Wreck I Am Today"
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We rave about some pretty cool literary prizes and talk to writer Todd McEwan on his funny and warm ...
Ep. 53, Donal Ryan, "The Queen of Dirt Island"
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Should we edit Roald Dahl and other children's classics? Plus our not-to-be-missed conversation...
Ep. 52, Stephen May, "Sell Us the Rope"
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Readers share their pet peeves about contemporary fiction, and we talk to author Stephen May about h...
Ep. 51, Paul Harding, "This Other Eden"
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Republic of Consciousness Prize for small presses in the US & Canada announes its 2022 longl...
Ep. 50, Maddie Mortimer, "Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies"
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Across the Pond celebrates its 50th episode, and we talk to Maddie Mortimer about her polyphonic, vi...
Ep. 49, Selby Wynn Schwartz, "After Sappho"
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What we love and hate about new year reading resolutions, and we talk to author Selby Wynn Schwartz ...
Ep. 48, Cristina Rivera Garza, "New and Selected Short Stories"
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Lori share their ambitious holiday reading plans, and Cristina Rivera Garza joins the podcas...
Ep. 47, Robin McLean, "Get'em Young, Treat'em Tough, Tell'em Nothing"
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Lori tackle James Joyce's exquisite holiday short story, The Dead, and welcome back to ...
Ep. 46, Dorthe Nors, "A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast"
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia Woolf gets a new statue, and we talk to writer Dorthe Nors about her lovely appreciation of...
Ep. 45, Suzette Mayr, "The Sleeping Car Porter"
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Lori explore Nikolai Gogol's extraordinary short story, The Nose, and Suzette Mayr join...
Ep. 44, Michael Hingston, "Try Not to be Strange"
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam salutes the great feminist publisher Carmen Calill, founder of Virago Press, and we dig into the...
Ep. 43 Damion Searls, "A New Name" (Jon Fosse)
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A gigantic and magnificent novel is headed for the stage, and translator Damion Searls joins us to t...
Ep. 42, Steve Stern, "The Village Idiot"
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hilary Mantel's sense of humor, and we talk to writer Steve Stern about his latest novel, The V...
Ep. 41, DeMisty Bellinger, "New to Liberty"
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mourning the loss of Spanish author Javier Marias, who leaves a legacy of superb novels; and we talk...
Ep. 40, Gwendoline Riley, "My Phantoms" & "First Love"
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We kick-off our "In Short" series on favorite short stories with a discussion of "Arr...
Ep. 39, Sonia Overall, "Eden"
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can an "augemented reality" feature enhance your reading pleasure?; and we talk to writer ...
Ep. 38, Penelope Mortimer, "Daddy's Gone A-Hunting"
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam gets big Booker prize news while high in the Eiffel Tower, and we take a close look at Penelope ...
Ep. 37, Katie Whittemore, "Wolfskin"
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When to stop writing your "finished" book, and we talk to Katie Whittemore about her trans...
Ep. 36, Hans von Trotha & translator Elisabeth Lauffer, "Pollak's Arm"
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We kick-off an occasional series on small press submissions for the 2022 Republic of Consciousness P...
Ep. 35, Nina Stibbe, "One Day I Shall Astonish the World"
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam can't get enough Proust, Javier Marias is the King of Redonda, and Nina Stibbe on her comed...
Ep. 34, Patrick McCabe, "Poguemahone"
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our initial summer reads, and we talk to the wonderful Patrick McCabe about his ghost-rich novel, Po...
Ep 33, Benjamin Myers, " The Perfect Golden Circle"
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Trend-bucking magaizne, The Atlantic, expands its book coverage, Margaret Atwood grabs a blowtorch, ...
Ep. 32, Lan Samantha Chang, "The Brothers Karamazov"
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We wrap up our wonderful collective read of The Brothers Karamazov with author and director of the I...
Ep. 31, Steve Toltz, "Here Goes Nothing"
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lori & Sam meet up in Norwich, England; Lori raves on London bookshops; why we must read more Pe...
Ep. 30, Hugo Hamilton, "The Pages"
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Spoiler alerts, Marx, and Alex Pheby's Mordew, plus we talk to Hugo Hamilton about his latest w...
Ep. 29, Lan Samantha Chang, "The Brothers Karamazov"
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
50 years worth of library late fees, cultural "exile" wins big prize, and Lan Samantha Cha...
Ep. 28, Elise Levine, "Say This: Two Novellas"
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Books vs. bombs, Chinese censorship of the arts, and we talk to Elise Levine about her intriguing ne...
Ep. 27, Salena Godden, "Mrs. Death Misses Death"
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We remember the work of children's author and illustrator, Shirley Hughes and talk about Jessa ...
Ep. 26, Lan Samantha Chang, "The Brothers Karmazarov"
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back Lan Samantha Chang as we preview our #conquerkaramazov collective read of The Brothers ...
Ep. 25, Saskia Vogel, "The Bear Woman"
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Readathons, #conquerkaramazov, Maus scandal, WB Yeats' bones, plus Saskia Vogel talks about tra...